ILoR WORSHIPFUL MASTERS

Each and every member of a lodge is important to the Lodge and it is only by working together that the ideals of Freemasonry can expand. However, the direction a Lodge takes, the excitement which is felt at a Lodge Meeting, the harmony within the Lodge is directly related to the enthusiasm and skill of the Master.

After the Charter Master, all other terms ran from the first Saturday of November to the following first Saturday of November.

Each Master has the responsibility of installing his successor but the officers used are left to his discretion. On most occasions, the members of the Internet Lodge of Research have performed the duties but there have been opportunities for members of other Lodges to do so.

The Master and Past Masters of any Lodge are the backbone of the Lodge. The Master gives direction to the Lodge and the Past Masters who have used their skills and abilities to direct the Lodge during their term as Master have returned to the crowd where they quietly assist the incumbent officers.

The Rulers of the Internet Lodge of Research are shown below:

RW Bro. Bill Kostenuk2016 - 2018
Fourteenth Master

W Bro. Ken McComb2014 - 2016
Thirteenth Master

The thirteenth Master of the Lodge is W Bro. Ken McComb. KENNETH (Ken) DEAN McCOMB was born and raised in Manitoba and like so many other residents of Alberta, after completing his post-secondary education in Computer Technology, he moved to Calgary in 1972. Ken spent many years in supervisory and management positions in retail and in later years in the fields of computers, finance and project management.

Ken joined Freemasonry in 1990, when he was initiated into Mosaic Lodge No.176 where he served as Master in 1999-2000 and 2010-2011. In the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada, he has served in many offices and in 2005 he received the 33°. One of his proudest accomplishments was the opening of the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation Learning Centre for Children formally identified with Dyslexia in Calgary, for which Ken spent a great deal of time in its formation and promotion.

Ken's interest in Masonic research is long-standing and he is the First Vice Chairman of the 2015 Masonic Spring Workshop and will be the General Chairman of the 2016 Workshop. Having been involved for many years of his working life in technology, he fully appreciates the benefit which it can bring to both receiving and dispensing Masonic education.

His focus as Master of the Internet Lodge will be in the encouragement of members to create quality presentations on varied aspects of Freemasonry but with an emphasis on Calgary, on Alberta and on Canada, which can be shared with interested Masons around the world.

RW Bro. Dick Hopkins2012 - 2014
Twelvth Master

The twelvth Master of the Lodge is RW Bro. Hopkins. A senior member of the Fraternity who is now the Master of a Lodge for the fifth time but the first time of a research Lodge. Initiated into Transcona Lodge #123 in Manitoba in 1973. He came to Alberta in 1997, joined Canada #165 and became the Master in 2002 followed by service to the Grand Lodge of Alberta first as the Grand Senior Deacon 2005-2005 and then District Deputy Grand Master of Phoenix District 2005-2006. He has also served on the Board of General Purposes.

Bro. Dick, as he is known, has always enjoyed the research side of Freemasonry and the internet has been a boon in this regards. Always an active member of ILoR, he sees it continuing moving the Lodge along the road it has trodden since inception of mixing online speakers with local ones in the research portion of the meetings but hopes to encourage a bit more local interaction.

He considers being Master of the Internet Lodge of Research to one of a number of highlights within his Masonic life and looks forward to his term in the chair.

VW Bro. Irwin Vines2010 - 2012
Eleventh Master

Initiated into Freemasonry in Mosaic Lodge No. 176 in 1995, Irwin served as Master of that Lodge (2001-2002) and as Secretary-Treasurer (2003-2010). His interest in making a "daily advancement in Masonic knowledge" is evident from service as Phoenix District Education Chairman (2003-2005), WM of Fiat Lux Lodge of Research (2006-2007), and involvement as a member of the Masonic Spring Workshop Planning Committee (2007-2011).

For his term as WM of the Internet Lodge of Research, Irwin has set a goal to increase the visibility of our Lodge among the Masons of this jurisdiction. As Chairman of the 2011 Masonic Spring Workshop, he hopes to enlist ILoR members to assist with the technical aspects of that conference in April, 2011. Moreover, at the request of MWBro Gerald Waldern, Grand Master, members of ILoR will be making a presentation at the 106th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alberta in Grande Prairie in June 2011. It is hoped that these public displays of service by our Lodge not only will be of benefit to the many Masons in attendance but also will serve to increase awareness of our unique Lodge of Research.

ILoR meetings are known for their delightful blend of education, comraderie and outright fun. We hope to be blessed with an ample supply of all three of these qualities during the coming term.

W Bro. Russell Murray2009 - 2010
Tenth Master

W Bro Russell Murray is the first non charter Master of Internet Lodge of Research. He was initiated into Freemasonry in Calgary, Alberta in Concord Lodge #124 in January of 1989 and passed and raised that same year. Russell served Concord as WM twice and then joined the Internet Lodge of Research. After serving in various offices he was elected WM in the fall of 2009.

Russell is a journeyman electrician and enjoys learning new things about the technology era.

As the 10th Master, Russell will focus on a special celebration of the 10th anniversary and working on the outstanding agenda items of Internet Lodge. As the result of a Lodge decision, the appointed officers for Russell's year were chosen in a unique manner - by ballot. Those members who were desirous of being an appointed officer put their name forward and their position was drawn out of a hat. This proved successful with the Lodge and looks like it will remain in the future.

W Bro. Dennis Milbrandt2008 - 2009
Ninth Master

Dennis was initiated into Loyalty Lodge 197 in February of 1996, being passed in April and then Raised in October of the same year. After serving in many Lodge positions, Dennis sat as Worshipful Master of Loyalty 197 in 2001.

He has an artistic background and formal training in computer systems and brings this knowledge to the Lodge. It is his belief that internet lodge should be using the available communication tools, on line, to bring our researches to as many Masons as possible. This belief is brought to fruition through the use of Webinars to disseminate our Education. Educational subjects will be how our computing systems work as well as knowledge specific to Masonry. We will bring well known Brethren to speak in the Lodge without the time consumption and expense of travel.

A year of interesting subject matter as well as a return to our original member services will be the benchmark.

W Bro. Kim Parkyn2007 - 2008
Eighth Master

A Charter member of Internet Lodge, Kim was initiated into Freemasonry in St. Marks Lodge #118 in the Canadian Rite, he has been Worshipful Master of St. Marks Lodge as well as servicing as its Secretary-Treasurer. He is involved with the Scottish Rite obtaining his 32nd Degree and has served as the Thrice Puissant Grand Master in 2007. Kim has worked in the corporate and public IT sectors for over thirty years and brings his years of solution development and technical understanding to the Internet lodge.

The focus this year will be to create a learning experience for the internet mason and to expand the use of internet tools within the organization. The capabilities of the internet continue to advance at a rapid pace and we as masons can exploit these advances for the benefit of our fellow members and the public as at large. We have a great story to tell we have much to teach new members and we too have much to learn.

The Internet Lodge is an enjoyable forum for its members to explore the internet and the technologies that make it a pervasive part of our lives.

VW Bro. Ken Madden2006 - 2007
Seventh Master

A Charter member of Internet Lodge, Ken was initiated into Freemasonry in Kamloops Lodge #10 in the Emulation Rite in 1993, has been twice Worshipful Master of Jubilee Lodge #173 in 2001/2 as well as Secretary-Treasurer in 2003/4. He served as Grand Registrar in 2003, and on the Board of General Purposes for 2 years. He is currently a member of Canada Lodge #165 and has taken his Royal Arch degrees.

Ken works in the corporate IT industry and brings this understanding to his role in the WM's Chair. The Internet has evolved since its inception and Ken's plan is to reflect this change from hardware and software to its new usage as "Content Delivery Mechanism". His senior officers will lead meetings, while the Fish Bowl research project will continue to engage members in internet-based Masonic research.

The Internet Lodge is an enjoyable forum for its members to explore their interests in high technology and Ken looks forward to another enjoyable year with his Brethren.

RW Bro. Glen Springsteel2005 - 2006
Sixth Master

A Charter member of ILoR, RW Bro. Springsteel brings a high level of enthusiasm to the Chair. Initiated into Freemasonry in 1993, he has served his Cornerstone #19 as Master (2000 & 2001) as well as Secretary (1996-1998). For the 2004-2005 term, he was the District Deputy Grand Master of Calgary-Highwood District.

Following on the intial plan for the Internet Lodge of Research and with an emphasis on research, the plan for the Lodge in this year is entitled "The Fish Bowl Project". With the Fish Bowel Project there will be 3 work sessions to be held on Saturdays in addition to the 4 meetings we conduct annually. RW Bro Kim Greenizan conducted Saturday seminars and we learned how to do research and present that information to the Lodge. We as Freemasons receive great lessons on speaking in front of an audience and publicly.

The Fish Bowl Project will commence at our Installation on November 19th, 2005 where each member of the Lodge in attendance will receive a slip of paper on which will be printed Masonic words & phrases. The work of the member will be to go to the internet and research the word or Phrase they received in as much detail as is appropriate. The findings will be presented at one of our work sessions or during an allotted time of a lodge meeting.

RW Bro. George Tapley2004 - 2005
Fifth Master

RW Bro. Tapley petitioned to become a charter member of ILoR to further his Masonic education and to be able to share his experience in both academia and information technology (particularly the area of Internet usage and applications). In June 2005 he was invested as District Deputy Grand Master of Calgary-Highwood District, becoming the second Master in the Lodge's short history to also be a current Grand Lodge Officer.

During his term the Lodge undertook a major technological shift with the move of its Web presence to new content management and portal software. To complement the move, and take advantage of some of the inherent possibilities of the new site structure, development was begun by the members of a Masonic Encyclopedia Canadiana, focusing on topics of particular interest and significance to Albertan and Canadian Masonry. The new software also facilitated a major expansion and annotation of the site's Resources section - a never-ending project.

The Lodge continued to offer Masonic education coupled with technical topics and advice, and saw its membership increase to a total of 52, including 15 subscribing members from around the world. The increase in membership prompted a re-design and re-order of the Lodge's "uniform" (dark blue golf shirts with a stylized logo) - this time, due to popular demand, with a pocket.

W Bro. Gary Long2003 - 2004
Fourth Master

Gary is a charter member of the Internet Lodge of Research. With a strong interest in both Freemasonry and computers it was a natural fit to join this unique Lodge. As with many of the members of the Lodge Gary has no formal training in computers so saw the new Lodge as an ideal way to learn more, share his experiences learned the hard way and continue his researches into Freemasonry.;

During his term as Worshipful Master, Gary wanted to research the various concordant and appendant bodies of Freemasonry. Using the Internet, this project was divided into four parts:

Prince Hall Masonry, Women's Freemasonry and Co-Masonry;

Youth Groups such as DeMolay, Job's Daughter and Rainbow Girls;

Ladies group with affiliation to Masonic relationship such as the Eastern Star and Daughters of the Nile;

Other men's bodies which extend the researches into freemasonry and charity such as Scottish Rite, Royal Arch and the Shrine.

Four of the members of the Lodge stepped forward and devoted their time to research the papers on the Internet and present them to the Brethren. The research that was presented was a start for some of the Brethren to expand their own horizons into Freemasonry and encourage all to extend their exploration with the tools available through the internet.

RW Bro. Kimberly Greenizan2002 - 2003
Third Master

As a Charter member and the first Junior Warden of ILOR RW Bro Kimberly Greenizan had some very unique individuals to follow. The first master wishing to build sound research papers and the second wanting to assist in educating members of what the internet had to offer he chose to combine the two.

During his term, he held a series of sessions on what it takes to conduct research in general. Using common objects as subjects for research and breaking into teams he walked the members through the stages of research to provide a greater understanding of the depth expected of a paper. This was combined with technical workshops where subject mater experts could assist all members with their computer and internet challenges.

Being the third of what is hoped to be a long line of Masters RW Bro Kimberly Greenizan leaves the lodge with a framework for research while using the internet as a tool for this process. He worked hard during his term and in subsequent years to ensure that the term research doesn't appear as an daunting barrier to what is otherwise an exciting and challenging adventure and that Freemasonry is expanded through the efforts of the officers and members of the Internet Lodge of Research.

W Bro. Garth Cochran2001 - 2002
Second Master

As the second Master (and founding Senior Warden), WBro Garth Cochran had a hand in shaping the culture of the young Lodge. For example, as SW he was responsible for the program of research at each meeting. Some of the things the Lodge tried, such as Ask the Expert (where Brethren get answers to questions concerning computers), continue. WM-elect, he started the custom of honouring a Brother by nominating Bro Roy Brain as his tyler, and that custom has been followed by every Master-elect since. In addition, he was the first Master-elect to present a Lodge plan for the ensuing year, giving the Lodge a say in the plans, and because of this we create both continuity of purpose and a constituency to carry the plan out. The Lodge has the opportunity to appraise where it has been and where it is going - and that creates direction.

A number of other initiatives were tried. The day following his installation, a workshop with John Belton (WM, Internet Lodge No. 9659, EC, 1999) on "Membership Myths" the "New Zealand Renewal Program" was successful with a good turnout and some great discussions. As a Lodge project, ILoR researched Masonic Charity for a presentation at the Masonic Spring Workshop. A second project on Truth did not work out as conceived.

One of the measures of a Lodge is how it responds to need. As a Research Lodge, we are not expected to be a source of benevolence in the Craft. Nevertheless, it was with great pleasure that I witnessed the Brethren donate parts for a computer, put it together in Lodge as Masonic Education and then present it to a Brother in need. To me, that was one of Masonry's finest hours.

MW Bro. Hugh YoungJanuary 2000 - November 2001
First Master

As the Charter or Founding Master MW Bro. Young faced some unique challenges but his organizational abilities and knowledge of Grand Lodge processes eased the Lodge through the required protocols to reach its Constitution and Consecration.

During his term, the bylaws were drafted and ready, regular meetings were held with unique education including an internet phone call with a brother in London, England at the Institution Meeting and workshops on computers and computer uses. He also produced research papers which are contained on the Lodge site.

The first Master leaves a great impression on the Lodge and MW Bro. Young was most cognizant of this fact and concerned that the Lodge could become known as "Hugh's Lodge". He worked hard during his term and in subsequent years to ensure that the reigning Master and the members of the Lodge assume their proper places and that Freemasonry is expanded through the efforts of the officers and members of the Internet Lodge of Research.